Ruan Zheng...
It's quite a good name.
But few would probably think that a man named Ruan Zheng has a childhood nickname of Hua'er...
Seeing his eldest grandson perform the courtesy obediently, Ruan Ming's expression softened a bit. He then said respectfully to Wei Ying and Chu Qing, "Your Highness the Prince of Ning and Princess, are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare some food for you."
The bearded Hua'er, namely Ruan Zheng, curled his lips and said, "Grandpa, weren't you scolding me for being wasteful just now because I brought a few extra mouths back? Why aren't you嫌弃 them now?"
Ruan Ming tapped him on the forehead with his finger and snorted, "You naughty boy! Who are these people? They are our distinguished guests! The most distinguished of guests!"
Ruan Zheng was about to say something else when Ruan Ming kicked him on the butt and roared fiercely, "Before the rain gets heavier and the animals on the mountain haven't all hidden, go hunt some wild game on the mountain quickly! Let His Highness the Prince of Ning and the others taste the wild game on our mountain! Coincidentally, there's not much meat at home. We can't just serve our distinguished guests with simple vegetarian food!"
Hearing that he was going hunting, Ruan Zheng immediately got excited. He called a few of his brothers, shouldered their bows and arrows, and ran up the mountain.
After Ruan Zheng left, Ruan Ming dismissed the people around him to get busy with dinner.
When only Chu Qing, Wei Ying, and Ruan Ming were left, Chu Qing slowly said, "Sir... do you have something to say to His Highness the Prince of Ning?"
Ruan Ming was taken aback. Then he rubbed his hands embarrassedly and tentatively said, "Well... Princess... would you mind..."
"It's okay." Wei Ying suddenly interrupted, "I've never hidden anything from her. Mr. Ruan, just say what you want to say directly."
Ruan Ming blushed. Then he paused for a while before tentatively asking, "Your Highness the Prince of Ning, do you know... your... background...?"
Ruan Ming, who was originally prepared to face a storm, timidly looked up at Wei Ying after he finished speaking.
To his surprise, the other man still showed no emotion on his face as he said, "I already know."
Ruan Ming was stunned. After thinking about it, it was indeed expected. Then he sighed, and his eyes were a bit red, "So you came to Dongyi... to..."
"I just came to take a look. I have no other intentions." Wei Ying continued to answer calmly.
Ruan Ming seemed a bit disbelieving, and his voice trembled slightly, "Are you... willing?"
Wei Ying looked up at him and hooked the corner of his lips, "Why wouldn't I be willing? I'm living quite freely now."
Ruan Ming lowered his head and said nothing.
Back then, when the Princess of Guangling took away the Prince of Ning, he was always there.
That woman was really heartless.
Just because of some illusory reason, afraid that it would affect her status in the harem, she wanted to abandon her newly - born child.
If it weren't for the Princess of Guangling's soft heart and taking the child away, there would be no Prince of Ning in this world.
He knew his own status and couldn't say much.
Moreover...
He privately hoped that the Prince of Ning wouldn't come back.
He didn't want the child that the Princess of Guangling had painstakingly raised to become something that others could summon and dismiss at will.
Thinking of this, Ruan Ming sighed again.
The atmosphere was a bit depressing. Chu Qing put on a smile and changed the topic.
Ruan Ming didn't want to displease the Prince of Ning, so he continued the conversation following the Princess of Ning's words.
Before long, Chu Qing noticed a group of children gathering around her.
The youngest was probably only three or four years old, and the oldest was no more than ten.
"Are you a noble lady from the palace?" A round - faced little girl with two small pigtails bravely asked.
Chu Qing smiled and stroked the little girl's chubby cheek and replied, "I'm not a noble lady. And I'm much freer than them."
"Then do you eat dozens of dishes in one meal?" A chubby and cute little boy asked curiously.
Chu Qing froze her smile awkwardly.
It seemed that the few boys who didn't go hunting had told their family what she had said today.
Otherwise, how could they suddenly think that she could eat dozens of dishes in one meal!
What did they take her for!
Afraid of leaving an impression of a glutton in the minds of the children, Chu Qing patiently explained after recovering, "I only take a few bites of those dozens of dishes..."
"Ah! Uncle Hua'er and the others are back!" A child pointed into the distance and exclaimed.
Chu Qing looked back and just saw a group of people coming back with a bountiful harvest.
Nan Gong Jin and the siblings Wen Yi and Wen Huan were also walking with them. Presumably, they met on the way.
Ruan Zheng carried a deer and swaggered over.
"Hey! We're lucky today. We came across a deer and a lot of rabbits! Everyone will have a good meal tonight!" Ruan Zheng grinned and held the deer in his hand high.
The children immediately cheered and rushed up.
Wei Ying looked thoughtfully at the arrows on the deer and slowly asked, "Who hunted this deer?"
"Of course it was our boss!" Cao'er said proudly.
Hearing this, Chu Qing then carefully looked at the deer.
She saw that there were three arrows on the deer. One had pierced through its eye, one was in its neck, and the other was in its belly.
"Shooting three arrows simultaneously?" Wei Ying raised his eyebrows.
Ruan Zheng didn't think much of it at first, but seeing the bright looks in the eyes of these distinguished guests, he inexplicably scratched his head embarrassedly.
"It was just a coincidence."
Chu Qing and Wei Ying glanced at each other. Chu Qing saw a hint of something deep in Wei Ying's eyes.
Tsk, he had some thoughts.
Although Ruan Zheng said it was a coincidence, Wei Ying knew that such a coincidence was not easy.
Not to mention whether the deer was stationary or running, the positions of the three arrows were not on the same horizontal line.
So, to shoot three arrows simultaneously, one had to separate the three arrows with their fingers, and the strength had to be fast, accurate, and steady.
All in all, although Ruan Zheng's martial arts skills were average, he was a very good archer.
At this time, Ruan Ming changed his previous scolding of Ruan Zheng and said with a broad smile, "My eldest grandson is not good at many things, but he's really good at archery. No one taught him. He figured it out all by himself."
Being praised by Ruan Ming, Ruan Zheng straightened his back and grinned.
Nan Gong Jin also said admiringly, "Such a coincidence of Mr. Ruan is not something an ordinary person can achieve."
Chu Qing looked at Nan Gong Jin and saw that he was serious, so she knew that the other man was really admiring.
After all, Nan Gong Jin's archery skills were also remarkable.
If all the young people nowadays were as modest and eager to learn as them, why worry about the prosperity of the world?
While Chu Qing was silently sighing, a woman took the prey to process and prepare it.
Seeing that the rain didn't get heavier but instead stopped, everyone sat in the yard and chatted casually.
Wen Huan, after all, had a child's mentality. Not afraid of the blood, she ran to the woman to watch the process of plucking and skinning.
Among the remaining people, except for Wen Yi, who still wasn't quite used to it and still carried the airs of a prince, the others chatted quite harmoniously.